Moon Activities and Book Suggestions – In honor of the supermoon this past weekend (I hope everyone got a chance to see it) I am posting some moon learning activities and children’s book suggestions. To learn more about the supermoon click here.
Show pictures of the moon’s surface and discuss craters. Allow children to make their own craters by dropping marbles in smoothed flour.
Gravity on the moon is 1/6 that on earth therefore the children would weigh 6 times less on the moon. Figure out each child’s “moon weight”. Students could jump 6 times higher on the moon. Have each child jump as high as they can and measure with a yardstick. Show them how high they would be able to jump on the moon.
The moon does not have its own light, it reflects light from the sun. Demonstrate reflection by shining a flashlight on a mirror and showing the reflection on a wall.
Discuss the phases of the moon and show pictures of each phase (full moon, crescent moon, half moon, new moon). Reinforce the 4 phases of the moon by playing Moon 4 Corners. In each corner hang a phase of the moon. Put smaller pictures of the moon phases in a bag. Children have to the count of 5 to go to a corner. Pull out a picture of the moon from the bag and have children tell you what phase of the moon it is. Everyone standing at that corner is out. Play continues until only one child remains.
Phases of the Moon Student-Made Book – Staple 5 pieces of black construction paper together for each student book. Label the front with the title “Phases of the Moon”. Label each page with a phase of the moon. Children use a white or yellow crayon to draw the moon in its correct phase on each page.
Book Suggestions:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Happy Birthday Moon by Frank Asch
Many Moons by James Thurber
Berenstain Bears on the Moon by Stan and Jan Berenstain
No Moon, No Milk! by Chris Babcock
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
See You Soon Moon by Donna Conrad
Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
What the Moon is Like by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
So That’s How the Moon Changes Shape by Allan Fowler
Thomas on the Moon Little Golden Book
